Chapter 319

Chapter 319
Chapter 319. Locus of Responsibility (2)

—

“Ah… wait? My strength is draining? What?!”
Each time their weapons hit as if he were being toyed with, a sharp vibration shot up his arm. Eun-ho-Eun cried out, feeling a deep sense of grievance.
“I’m telling you, I’ve reached my breaking point!”
In response, his senior disciple, Dae-sa-hyeong, offered a mocking reply.
“And? Are you going to permit death simply because you have hit a wall?”
Sgeok—
The blade of the Red Light Sword grazed his neck, slicing cleanly through the fabric of his collar. A faint prickling sensation followed, making it obvious that the strike had deliberately drawn a tiny bit of blood.
‘That insufferable man!’
Though he had consumed a pair of medicinal elixirs during their pause, fully restoring his inner energy to its peak, physical endurance still had its thresholds. So-un-Jin appeared entirely aware of where that threshold lay, methodically pushing them to utter collapse by managing the tempo of the fight.
“Ha, exh—ha.”
“Curse it.”
Beside him, Saryeon-Sa Samae, along with Geum-pyo-Geum Hyung and Dong-ryong-Dong, were visibly pushed to their absolute boundaries, unable to hide their gasping exhaustion.
“Are you contemplating flight once more?”
The edge of the raised blade gleamed with a crimson hue.
Kyaaaaaaaaak—
Accompanying a piercing shriek of dark, untraceable malice, a crushing wave of homicidal intent locked onto his very spirit. Though the sheer pressure felt lethal on its own, So-un-Jin launched his attack without hesitation.
Chrarrrrrruk.
The weapon, saturated with deadly intent, multiplied into dozens of blurred afterimages, trapping all four companions. They understood logically that their Dae-sa-hyeong wouldn’t actually execute them, yet their survival instincts screamed in terror.
“Uwaaaaaa!”
Eun-ho-Eun threw himself forward, swinging his blade wildly while shouting at the top of his lungs. Countless past skirmishes had taught him a vital lesson: fleeing never solved anything. Charging straight ahead at the height of terror was the sole path forward. It was the very method his Dae-sa-hyeong always utilized.
Drawing upon his core, he channeled his inner energy. From the start, his available reserves were far too meager to even attempt the complex Great Heaven Sword Method. He resorted instead to the basic Small Heaven Sword Method, executing only its most fundamental forms.
‘In any case… deflecting every strike is impossible.’
Because of this, he focused strictly on evading fatal blows with minimal shifts in posture. Enduring superficial cuts to pierce the adversary’s vital spot—that was his only hope for survival in this moment.
Sgeok—
Right when he believed he had successfully dodged the Red Light Sword and closed the distance to So-un-Jin’s torso.
“What exactly do you expect to achieve by rushing in entirely unaccompanied?”
Anticipating the move perfectly, So-un-Jin extended his leg and struck Eun-ho-Eun squarely with a kick.
Peok!
Cha-ak—
Propelled a distance of three zhang, Eun-ho-Eun crashed heavily against the ground.
‘Please, someone hold out…’
He offered a silent, desperate plea to his three companions.
Peok! Peo-peok!
Cha-ak— cha-ak— cha-ak—
‘I didn’t even get a chance to utter a farewell…’
The remaining three had simply trailed directly behind Eun-ho-Eun and suffered identical fates.
“My, my, to collapse after such a minor exertion… Do you truly believe a real conflict will grant you such breathing room? When your inner reserves run dry, you rely on muscle; when your muscle fails, you survive on pure desperation.”
What absurd claims. To an outsider, it would sound as though he had survived decades of brutal warfare.
Though bitter resentment welled up inside him, he kept his mouth firmly shut. When he had dared to voice his complaints two hours earlier, that terrifying… no, that individual known as Dae-sa-hyeong had merely prolonged the training, declaring, “If you can still speak, you can still fight.” He had learned that silence was by far the wiser choice.
“Fine, you have half an hour to recuperate.”
So-un-Jin turned and walked toward the interior of the pavilion. Despite his departure, the exhausted members of the Tae-eul Sect, Eun-ho-Eun included, remained entirely paralyzed on the ground.
“Ha…”
“Just… end me.”
They had reached a state of such profound fatigue that moving a single digit seemed impossible. Reaching a meditative state within thirty minutes was a fantasy. Their only option was to remain still, slowly rotating their internal energy while resting.
‘Unbelievable… what a pathetic display.’
Eun-ho-Eun, filled with a deep sense of shame as he lay motionless trying to gather his energy, shifted his gaze toward Saryeon-Sa.
“Sajeo, do you happen to understand why Dae-sa-hyeong is pushing us this severely?”
Observing Saryeon-Sa’s grim expression over the past two days made it obvious. A significant event had transpired between them. Yet, because she had remained entirely tight-lipped and somber, he hadn’t possessed the courage to press her.
Now, however, the circumstances demanded it. If this intensity persisted for a few more days, they would likely become the first casualties of training in the institution’s history. No one wanted to become a ghost before even setting foot inside the Murim League.
Eun-ho-Eun pleaded with Saryeon-Sa once more.
“Sajeo, we are on the verge of expiring here. Honestly, I feel half-dead already. I am only enduring this agony to ensure Geum-pyo-Geum Hyung and Dong-ryong-Dong make it through…”
“Our Dae-sa-hyeong…”
Softening at Eun-ho-Eun’s desperate whimpering, Saryeon-Sa finally spoke.
“…He appears to be deeply anxious on our behalf.”
Inflicting such brutal punishment, yet he was anxious?
“He is terrified that he won’t be present to shield us when the time comes.”
“…”
The deep furrow in Eun-ho-Eun’s brow instantly vanished. Geum-pyo-Geum and Dong-ryong-Dong, who had been staring blankly into space, snapped out of their daze and fixed their eyes on Saryeon-Sa.
“He fears that those who harbor malice toward him will redirect their spite and torment onto us instead.”
Saryeon-Sa looked directly at her younger martial brother. Beneath her rigid exterior, a profound sorrow was visible.
“That is the source of his anxiety.”
They had believed they were entirely depleted. They had assumed they possessed no further vitality to even draw breath.
Kkadeudeuk.
Their jaws tightened fiercely, teeth grinding together. The resentment that had been aimed at their Dae-sa-hyeong instantly shifted inward, transforming into a bitter anger directed at their own incompetence.
‘Are we nothing but an impediment to him once more?’
Whether during their encounter with the Iron Sword Sect or upon learning of the standard examinations, they had recognized his solitary burden and desperately desired to share it out of pity and respect. Yet, regardless of their exertions, the weight upon him never diminished. Instead, they had come to realize that they were merely extra weight he had to carry, plunging them into self-hatred.
They had fooled themselves into thinking they had matured along this journey, but in reality… the brothers hadn’t advanced a single step.
“This stems from the confrontation with the instructors, doesn’t it?”
Hearing Eun-ho-Eun’s grim, lowered tone, Saryeon-Sa gave a slow nod. Eun-ho-Eun let out a low growl.
“None of that matters to us. Low marks or biased treatment mean absolutely nothing to our group.”
“…”
Saryeon-Sa regarded Eun-ho-Eun with an enduringly mournful gaze.
“What if this malice extends beyond the academy grounds?”
“…”
“What happens when we transition to the Murim League? What if our group is divided? What happens when we are forced to obey a commander’s dictates? Will you remain indifferent then?”
Her sorrowful words pierced the hearts of the Gold-Silver-Bronze brothers like a blade. Operating as a unified sword formation gave them confidence, but their individual martial prowess placed them squarely in the middle tier of the student body. Once they entered the grand stage of the Murim League, that deficiency would become glaringly obvious. Bereft of their sect’s protection, how could they hope to survive?
“Dammit… dammit, dammit!”
The individual carrying the heaviest burden was undeniably Dae-sa-hyeong, who had openly defied the staff. Yet, in the middle of that crisis, his primary concern…
[Don’t worry]
…was completely focused on their safety rather than his own. This realization ignited Eun-ho-Eun’s fury like a surging volcano.
Peok, peok, peok, peok.
He slammed his bare hands against the stone flooring until his knuckles were completely bloody, matching the internal pain of his own helplessness.
“…”
Despite the injuries he was inflicting on himself, no one moved to restrain him. They were all drowning in the exact same pool of despair.
Just then.
Jeobeok, jeobeok, jeobeok.
Footsteps echoed as a party entered the courtyard. Saryeon-Sa quickly pulled herself up.
“What?”
This area was strictly designated for So-un-Jin’s exclusive training. Random entries were forbidden. Upon recognizing the newcomers, Saryeon-Sa let out a soft gasp.
“…Ah.”
The visitors were none other than the freshly appointed staff members alongside the chief instructors. Leading the group was a man with a pallid visage, his eyes scanning the area sharply.
“I am informed that So-un-Jin resides here?”
As Saryeon-Sa wavered under the instructor’s stern gaze, Eun-ho-Eun, ignoring the blood dripping from his knuckles, stepped forward to shield her.
“This area is reserved exclusively for the Academy Representative. You must depart.”
“…And who might you be?”
The instructor’s face twisted in annoyance at Eun-ho-Eun’s demand, clearly irritated that a nonentity was obstructing him. Eun-ho-Eun felt a bitter pang of resentment at his own lack of presence.
“Should you require an audience with the Academy Representative, you are expected to schedule a meeting at his formal office. This location constitutes his private quarters.”
“I asked for your identity… Furthermore, these quarters remain part of the institutional grounds. There is no section of this academy barred to an instructor.”
The agonizing reality that he could not enforce a blatant rule, nor pose the slightest physical deterrent to these people, filled him with misery. It drove him to speak with even greater intensity.
“Regardless of your status as an instructor, you possess no authority to violate a student’s personal living quarters. That applies doubly to a restricted zone like a training courtyard.”
Eun-ho-Eun’s icy delivery brought a wave of visible irritation to the faces of the staff.
“I have repeatedly demanded your identity. Do you intend to defy a direct query from an instructor? Are you eager to face expulsion alongside him?”
Alongside him?
His heart missed a beat. Surely, his Dae-sa-hyeong had committed no infraction that would warrant dismissal. Yet, the implication that So-un-Jin’s banishment was already an established certainty made his chest tighten with fear.
‘This is precisely the vulnerability Dae-sa-hyeong fears for us…’
A fragile state of mind that wavers at a mere phrase and panics at the slightest provocation. Eun-ho-Eun forced his features into a mocking smirk, deliberately mimicking an expression he had observed countless times before. He knew he would lose his nerve if he didn’t adopt this persona. Channeling that familiar demeanor, he adopted an entirely detached, sardonic tone.
“Expulsion for remaining silent… Has a new institutional regulation been enacted during our recent recess that I am unaware of?”
“…”
He detected a flicker of hesitation cross the instructor’s face. Merely replicating his senior’s attitude was already proving effective.
“Was this policy ratified by the Education Bureau? Is it standard to casually dismiss candidates who successfully navigated the rigorous standard examinations? Or is this simply a mandate fabricated by the instructors on a whim?”
That small flicker widened into an open crack, allowing his suppressed anger to boil over.
“How dare a mere child behave so insolently before me!”
“Oh, have I spoken falsely? Or perhaps…”
It was an unusual sensation. As the man’s fury erupted, Eun-ho-Eun found his own mind becoming remarkably clear and focused.
“Are you unsettled because my words hit too close to home? My, my… it appears you have failed to learn your lesson even after the humiliation you suffered when attempting to oppose our Dae-sa-hyeong.”
“…!”
The instructor stood frozen, completely lacking a retort. Eun-ho-Eun had simply been testing the boundaries of the situation, but he had managed to strike an incredibly sensitive nerve. As Eun-ho-Eun quietly celebrated this minor rhetorical victory internally, the instructor’s eyes flared with murderous intent.
Ppudeudeuk.
Sensing a sudden shift in pressure, Eun-ho-Eun looked up to find the instructor already gripping a drawn blade.
“How dare insignificant pupils from a third-rate sect… dare to look down on me in unison?”
While not as oppressive as So-un-Jin’s aura, it carried a potent, suffocating bloodlust that weighed heavily on the body. Seeing the instructor completely lose his composure and advance blindly, his companions moved forward to intervene.
“Hold on a moment…”
“Unhand me!! If I do not separate that brat’s head from his shoulders this instant, I cannot live with myself.”
He pressed forward with the reckless abandon of a man with absolutely nothing left to lose.
‘Curse it…’
Had he possessed even a fraction of his inner energy, he might have attempted an evasive maneuver, but his body was currently so depleted that merely maintaining his balance was an ordeal. Furthermore, the distance made it impossible for Saryeon-Sa or his brothers to step in. Though the White Way claimed a moral superiority over the Black Way, they remained martial artists at their core. When pushed past their breaking point, they resorted to violence just the same.
Eun-ho-Eun strained to raise his weapon defensively, fully expecting to sustain a devastating injury in the impending clash. Suddenly.
“Desist. Hall Leader Jin-ha-No. Do you intend to bring shame upon the reputation of the Cheongseong Sect?”
The calm, measured voice caused the enraged instructor to freeze mid-stride.
“…What mindless fool dares to utter the name of Cheongseong…!”
Jin-ha-No’s shout died in his throat as his eyes locked onto the speaker.
“In any event… you are entirely too boisterous.”
A gentleman garbed in the attire of a scholar approached at a leisurely pace, his hands clasped behind his spine. Eun-ho-Eun stared in confusion.
‘Who could that be?’
His hair was untamed, his frame slender, and he possessed absolutely no discernible trace of inner energy. A man who seemed completely out of place within the martial confines of the Murim Academy walked right up to the point of Jin-ha-No’s blade.
“Do you intend to lower that?”
“…”
“Or do you truly plan to run me through? Well?”
“…N-No, that is not my intention.”
Jin-ha-No, who had been snarling like a rabid beast moments prior, instantly recoiled and lowered his weapon. Who on earth was this individual?
“Did the 8th Hall Leader of the White Tiger Pavilion journey to this institution merely to execute a student?”
“…This matter does not fall under the purview of the Department Head.”
“My, what an ungrateful response… Given that I was the individual who authorized your relocation paperwork…”
It was a baffling sight. At the mere words of a man who possessed no martial cultivation whatsoever—and who appeared physically delicate by regular standards—Jin-ha-No’s expression drained of color.
“Considering you requested this relocation for such a petty, personal grievance…”
The scholar surveyed the surroundings with total composure before offering a pleasant smile directly to Jin-ha-No.
“I must assume you hold no further desire to retain your position within the 8th Hall, correct?”
“W-What are you implying by that!!!”
“Did you genuinely believe you could resume your duties in the 8th Hall after murdering an academy pupil? Did you expect me to overlook such an atrocity?”
“…T-That is not the case.”
Jin-ha-No offered a strained, defensive reply.
“How is it not the case? From where I stand, you appear entirely weary of your existence within the Murim League. Was that not the meaning behind your actions just now?”
“Not at all.”
“Are you entirely certain?”
“I am.”
The scholar offered a nod before waving his hand dismissively, as though shooing away a pest.
“In that case, clear out.”
“…But.”
The man then casually draped an arm over Eun-ho-Eun’s shoulder in a warm gesture.
“This young man’s assessment is entirely accurate. This location is strictly the private training ground of the Academy Representative. It remains an area an instructor has no business entering.”
“…”
Jin-ha-No’s expression betrayed a deep internal conflict. He could neither simply retreat without fulfilling his purpose nor risk defying the man further. Finally, he managed to grind out a sentence.
“…My purpose here is to conduct a discussion with So-un-Jin.”
The scholar cut him off instantly, refusing to entertain the notion.
“Schedule an appropriate time and venue for that subsequently. You certainly didn’t secure a prior engagement for today, did you?”
“…”
Jin-ha-No and the accompanying staff members hesitated. They clearly feared the scholar’s administrative authority, even though he wielded no physical threat against them.
“Regardless of your status as Department Head, dictating our movements in this manner is…”
“Come to think of it, the White Tiger Pavilion Master has been incessantly demanding a budget increase… I suppose I ought to initiate a comprehensive review, given the recent rumors regarding the excessive expenditures within the White Tiger Pavilion…”
“I shall take my leave for today.”
“Pardon?”
“…I will arrange a proper appointment at a later date.”
To retreat so abruptly after instigating such a massive confrontation?
Eun-ho-Eun watched the display in utter disbelief. The scholar waved his hand once more with an air of mild boredom.
“An excellent resolution. Depart!”
Jin-ha-No offered a stiff bow to the scholar, shot a venomous, lethal glare at Eun-ho-Eun, and swiftly marched away with his cohort. Once the courtyard emptied, the individual identified as the Department Head removed his arm from Eun-ho-Eun’s shoulder and turned toward the building.
“So-un is within, I presume?”
Eun-ho-Eun, still processing the bizarre encounter, spoke up tentatively.
“…May I ask your identity?”
“Me? Just someone who enjoys the privilege of visiting So-un without a formal schedule.”
“No, what I mean to ask is… what sort of position do you occupy… to command such submission from those individuals?”
The scholar’s eyes crinkled in amusement at the query, and he gave a hearty laugh.
“Ah! Hahaha. I wondered what had left you so perplexed, so it was merely that?”
“If I am not overstepping, your title is…”
Eun-ho-Eun swallowed hard. He genuinely could not detect a single drop of martial energy from the individual. Could he be a master of such profound hidden depth that his power was completely unreadable? Instead,
“I have never pursued martial arts.”
The scholar’s response shattered his theories completely.
“Excuse me? Then why did they… Is your lineage or backing of such immense stature?”
An instructor representing the Cheongseong Sect who also held the rank of Hall Leader within the White Tiger Pavilion possessed immense influence. To see such a figure completely suppress his rage and retreat solely due to the words of an ordinary scholar was incomprehensible.
Noticing the profound skepticism on Eun-ho-Eun’s face, the man offered a subtle grin.
“The explanation is simple: I am Ju-won-Maeng, the Department Head of the Mantong-bu.”
“The Mantong-bu… Department Head…”
Eun-ho-Eun repeated the title to himself before looking the man squarely in the eye.
“Does attaining such a rank… grant an individual that level of authority, even in the complete absence of martial strength?”
“Heheh… Influence and martial force are hardly the sole currencies of power in this world, are they?”
With that parting remark, the Department Head patted Eun-ho-Eun’s shoulder once more and strolled into the building. Eun-ho-Eun remained stationary, staring intently at the departing figure of Ju-won-Maeng.
‘Amazing…’
It occurred to him that this unique individual might possess the very answers he had been searching for.
‘What an incredible person.’